Gibson in mix for Australian cricket coaching role
Image : Cricfrenzy
|| Desk Report ||
Former West Indies and South Africa coach Ottis Gibson is in the mix to join Justin Langer's coaching panel.
As Langer and head of team performance Ben Oliver work through what could be a new coaching model and close in on announcing a new team mentor, Gibson – who led the Proteas into the recent World Cup in England but has since been sacked – has emerged as a serious candidate to be Langer’s senior assistant and permanent bowling coach.
He is an outstanding coach. He was head coach of West Indies, head coach of South Africa, very highly regarded. I know Ottis well - he is an outstanding person. I have spoken to Ottis a couple of times [about joining CA]," Langer said.
"We are just going through that process at the moment and, hopefully, we can lock someone away soon."
As reported last month, the Australians are also seeking a replacement for fielding coach and advisor Brad Haddin, the latter having stepped down for family reasons. He has joined Fox Cricket.
Gibson, 50, is one of the most respected coaches on the international scene. He was also in the frame to replace Trevor Bayliss in England, and has had two stints as England's bowling coach. He played two Tests and 15 one-day internationals for the West Indies between 1995 and 1999.
There has yet to be a full-time replacement for bowling coach David Saker since he left after the home campaign last summer. Langer had former Tasmania coach Adam Griffith as his bowling coach through the World Cup while Troy Cooley, who also heads up the national cricket academy in Brisbane, had the job through the Ashes. However, Cooley would prefer not to travel on a full-time basis. One option is to have more floating roles, utilising state coaches and high-performance chiefs.
"We are looking for the right people that are going to fit ... we can talk about structure, and structure is really important, but you have got to get the right people and the right people that are available. It's a tough gig being on the road with the Australian cricket team," Langer said.
"I know we have got to be agile and creative in this new market that we are in. We had Adam Griffith, who did a great job for us in the World Cup, and Troy Cooley did a great job for us in the Ashes and is the head coach at the center of excellence. We have great resources - it's just how they all help the Australian cricket team."
